


Low Light (I Care About You, You Piece of Shit)

by reaperlight



Series: A Wanted Man [4]
Category: Death Note & Related Fandoms, Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Epilogue, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Crack, Light has Shinigami eyes in this 'verse from sugar daddy Ryuk, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Moral Ambiguity, Netflix and Chill, Polyamory, Reunions, Shinigami, Shinigami Realm, Shinigami/Human Relationships, Suicidal Thoughts, Threesome - M/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2019-02-18 00:41:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13088841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reaperlight/pseuds/reaperlight
Summary: Though the Kira case has long been declared closed, L can't leave the most important part unresolved.Not when his first ever friend has exiled himself to a literal hellscape without a bakery in sight...





	Low Light (I Care About You, You Piece of Shit)

**“Our pact is fulfilled,”** the Shinigami hissed, her single visible eye gleaming with crimson fire.

“That’s fine,” the man said while idly taking in the familiar, gloomy landscape even as he released his tight grip from the Shinigami’s bony shoulder spikes and irreverently hopped off from his perch on the creature’s back. The peculiar man landed from his frog-like leap upon the neglected mountain path, disturbing dust in his wake. “I can find my own way from here,” he said, reassuringly. 

Not that the Shinigami particularly cared. As she said, their pact was fulfilled—all he could do now was hope that they both got what they wanted out of that particular arrangement. 

The Shinigami gave him a hateful look before flapping away, leaving the man alone in the desolate land. 

For a moment he simply took it all in: the miles of ash, broken only by scattered debris, the remains of long dead creatures and machines, how the craggy peaks of bone-white mountains scraped the darkened skies like grasping skeletal fingers of some undead abomination trying to rise to escape the grave. 

_Shinigami Kai—the Land of the Dead._

The gloom and doom that his first ever friend had exiled himself to. 

The man stood up, cracking his back—which was sore from both the journey and from unconsciously hunching in on himself as was his constant habit—as he looked further up the mountain peak in search of his destination. It had been years but he was confident he could still remember the way.

With a sigh L shoved his hands in his jeans pockets, careful not to disturb the silken contents within, as he began his trek. His ratty sneakers further disturbed the grey ash beneath his feet as he made his way up the winding mountain path. His hunched, shuffling gait belonging to a man far older than his years. He huffed, muscles straining as he wound his way uphill—while his continued practice in martial arts kept him in relatively good health, despite his poor sleep and dietary habits, the fact remained he didn’t get out much and, well, his stamina had suffered for it. He hadn’t played tennis in some years either. (Though perhaps now, hopefully, he might finally remedy that...) 

L lamented that he probably could have pushed the Shinigami to drop him off closer to the “door” but then he didn’t want to push his luck—the entire trip up he’d been half-convinced that Rem would try and drop him rather than fulfill her end of the bargain.  
Finally he spotted the cave entrance. He was _close._

While making his way through the labyrinthine passages that cut deep into the heart of the mountain, lit only by the baleful green torchlight that seemed to never go out, L couldn’t help but wonder what he would find when he got there. He knew that coming here was foolish but… He couldn’t stay away. 

He had no more _reasons_ to stay away. 

And, whatever else he might be, Light truly was his _only friend._

As L ascended an ancient staircase that had been cut right into the rock of the mountain he couldn’t help but wince when his every footfall echoed obscenely loud to his own ears. It wasn’t that he was exactly trying to _sneak_ but still… part of him was, admittedly, _anxious_ about this long overdue meeting and he wasn’t sure what reception awaited him at his destination or what he might find.  
Not to mention that given his previous lifestyle L was used to the quiet of his hotel rooms, subsisting on a diet of caffeine and sweets, and solving cases late into the night. This whole _Lord of the Rings_ crap was so far outside his comfort zone... L scoffed—Watari _should have been_ proud of him. Here he was going to meet someone not because he _had_ to but because he _wanted to_...

 _Of course that wasn't the case. He had insisted until the last that L had been making a horrible mistake..._

No. 

That was over and done with and no amount of regret on his part would change the past. 

That part of his life was was over. He should only look towards the future, and whatever that might bring. 

L observed a subtle change in his surroundings—these parts of the caves had a distinctly human touch—the cave floor was smooth and looked like it had been swept recently. The appearance of the curtain only confirmed it. It was a decorative dark blue _noren_ , depicting white cranes flying across a full moon sky, which hung from the roof of the cave. It obscured the way and divided off the dwelling from the rest of the network of caves. L tried not to make too much noise as he gently pushed the smooth _kinari_ cloth aside and padded inside. The thought of knocking only briefly crossed his mind—L never was one to care much about the privacy of others and in any case he didn’t think the sound of him rapping on the stone would carry inside anyway. 

Despite literally living in a cave, it seemed Light was doing quite well for himself—at the very least his living space wasn’t lacking in comforts. L made note of the TV, which sat in front of a comfy-looking black leather couch, the computer and work station, a fully stocked kitchen with the standard appliances and a working fridge (though _that_ was severely lacking in sweets in L’s opinion). There was even an indoor hydroponic garden with grow lamps for growing fresh fruits and vegetables. 

It was a minor mystery how any of this operated which L swiftly solved when he discovered multiple portable generators placed at strategic points around the cave. Though clearly necessary it seemed the residents must have found them unsightly given that they’d all been concealed by a more aesthetically pleasing pile of geometrically stacked skulls. 

This space was lived in, yet still immaculately tidy, even though it was unlikely the inhabitants were expecting company—that was Light’s touch, clearly, just as the skulls were probably Ryuk’s. (But then again…) 

L froze at the sudden sound of heavy pounding echoing through the cavern. 

L swallowed, squared his shoulders (as much as they would be squared thanks to his chronic abysmal posture), and began to make his way towards the noise. While startling it was the first sign of life in the place. 

(L just hoped he wasn’t… _interrupting_ anything. That was always a danger when invading a private residence, uninvited.) 

L went into the next “room,” the adjacent cavern and that was when he finally found what, or rather _who_ he came here for. He breathed a sigh of relief—it seemed the only thing he’d interrupted was Light’s home-decorating. His erstwhile friend was up on a cheap step ladder, nailing something right into the cave wall, his back facing the rest of the room as he concentrated on his work. 

“Light-kun,” L spoke softly to get his attention—trying not to startle him and failing miserably.

***

 _“Shit!”_ Light cursed, sucking his painfully throbbing thumb. 

He’d been attempting to hang up Ryuk’s watercolor painting of a bowl of apples on their cave wall but upon hearing the most unexpected voice and movement behind him his aim with the hammer had been slightly off—finding his thumb instead of the nail. 

But even more alarming than the pain in his thumb was that his mind was apparently playing tricks on him because that almost sounded like… 

_It couldn’t be…_

“Language, Light-kun,” said that familiar voice, all too amused. 

Light spun around with a start, very nearly losing his balance on the step-ladder upon seeing the man standing behind him. Well, he seemed too real to be a hallucination—especially when the other man steadied him and helped prevent his fall. Light hadn’t yet encountered a hallucination that could do _that._ That meant that somehow, impossibly, _Ryuuzaki was here._

For a moment Light could only gape stupidly at the man whom he never expected to see again—but then, he hadn’t expected to see _anyone_ again—he’d taken up residency in the Shinigami Realm and that was kind of a one-way trip. Not that he had exactly minded.  
Though it had taken some getting used to Light _loved_ it here—he could be _himself_ here and he loved playing with Ryuk. Admittedly there were few people he missed… just a few—like his family (mainly his sister…) 

And then there was this asshole. 

_“Ryuuzaki?!”_

It was indeed, Ryuuzaki in the flesh—and yet somehow returned to the Shinigami Realm. 

_“What the hell are you doing here?”_ Light demanded, grabbing hold of the detective's shirt collar in anger and instantly regretted it. 

L was wearing the same dragons and tiger sweater Light had gifted him all those years ago as a gesture of friendship. 

“Can’t I just be checking in with my first ever friend?” L simpered and Light’s eyes narrowed dangerously. 

_“No… “_ Light answered slowly because whatever “weird thing” had been between them they were never, _exactly,_ friends. _Couldn’t be._ The thought was just too painful. Besides, he had been doing just fine here without L, thank you very much. (Sure, sometimes he missed Japan and his family but then he knew that they could never truly _accept him_ for what he was.)

“ _How_ did you even get here?” Light demanded, already exasperated with the man. 

L shrugged. “I cut a deal with Rem—” 

Light scowled—it looked like L would need to borrow Ryuk again in order to go home then—there went his plans for a quiet evening of watching movies with Ryuk and cuddling on the couch... 

“—She brought me here on the condition that I let Misa go.” 

“You did _what?!_ ” 

“We couldn’t get the charges to stick anyway, you know. Not with Kira still killing,” L related while looking at Light pointedly. 

So the justice systems of Earth were as rotten as ever. That was hardly surprising. Still.. "“But… but what about Rem? Wouldn’t that have been proof enough?”

Light suddenly felt oddly cut off when L’s curtain of black bangs fell to cover his eyes.

“You do realize I was the only one who could _actually see_ Rem, right?” Ryuuzaki mumbled, turning away. 

L had discovered that ever since Light and Ryuk had brought him here the first time… he’d been able to _see them_ —Shinigami that is. He’d seen Rem as soon as they brought Misa in. Honestly, it had kind of taken all the challenge out of it... or rather it had taken all the _fun_ out of it—the challenge was still there but it wasn’t exactly one he was really equipped to handle. Once again he knew the answer but what he knew didn’t matter if he couldn’t persuade the police around to his point of view. L was always in it for the detective-work, never the social aspect or interagency politics—that was more Light’s area of expertise. They would have made a great team. It was a shame that Light was Kira. 

L, generously, supposed Light could have found Misa with the Shinigami powers he claimed to possess or even the exact same way L himself did… in the unlikely event that there was any truth to Light’s claims that he wasn’t Kira. Highly unlikely, L knew, but just for the sake of argument... 

Light sighed as he carefully descended the stepladder, taking care to maneuver with his hands and good leg, before picking up the scythe Ryuk had gotten him to use as a walking stick from where it leaned against the cave wall. He’d twisted his ankle a few years ago scaling the Mountains of Doom and then set it wrong when he’d stubbornly insisted that he knew what he was doing. It’s not like he could have just shown up at a hospital on Earth anyway. It was alright, he knew he was living on borrowed time anyway. It took many years of self-reflection but Light had finally came to admit to himself that even with the power of the notebook, changing the world to suit his image hadn’t exactly been a feasible goal and in the end would likely have only propelled him to an early, stupid death. 

Even after years of taking refuge in the world of the dead Light couldn’t help wonder if his death had finally come for him in the form of a sleep-deprived sugar-junkie. Part of him had always been dreading this day. Sure, it hadn’t seemed likely that he’d ever have to interact with any humans again but if _anyone_ could find their way back here, it would be L. Ryuuzaki was no doubt here to confront him about his role in the Kira case, so to speak. Light didn’t want to have to kill him, but he had no intentions of returning to the human world either. So that was it then. Ryuuzaki would have to kill him… and then Ryuk would probably kill L in revenge. That was the only end game he could see going forward now. Or maybe he could get Ryuk to write his name in the notebook... 

Light turned to face L who was no doubt gloating at having found him again… 

Only… he wasn’t. 

In fact L didn’t seem at all happy or triumphant to be here. He just looked kind of… _sad._

_What the hell is wrong with Ryuuzaki…?_

Dammit, why hadn’t he noticed before? 

He was looking at a broken man… 

Light jolted with sudden understanding. 

“They all thought you were _insane._ ” 

“They might well have been right,” L let out a bitter laugh. “It was my mistake, really. You see I tried to tell your father what happened to you and where you had gone.” 

_“Oh.”_

“Yes, _oh,_ Light-kun.” 

“…What _did_ you tell him?” 

“The truth. I thought I owed him that much.” 

“The truth… or what you _think_ is true?” Light pressed. 

“I told him _your story_ if that’s what you are worried about, Light-kun. But I also told him my suspicions…” 

Light gave an audible sigh. “ _Really?_ You _had_ to go there?” 

“You said it yourself, Light-kun. You are highly suspicious. You _knew_ that you were suspicious—you knew that enough to leave the goddamned planet! Not that it matters what I thought, though. The taskforce were ready to dismiss it all as lies anyway.” 

“I’m sorry,” Light said, though he wasn’t even sure what he was apologizing for. 

It’s just… the ex-detective looked so worn down and ragged and, well, _lost_ that he couldn’t help but evoke pity...

Light supposed he should adamantly deny L’s suspicions as he would have done so many times before but… Truth be told he wasn’t all that invested in the human world anymore. He still cared, sure, but it was more in an abstract way. It just… didn’t seem to matter anymore. 

Oh, he wasn’t _completely_ cut off up here—he viewed the human world from the viewing pools from time to time and, using the Eyes that Ryuk had gifted to him, he’d pick off the occasional murderer or rapist he happened to find. And he still exchanged e-mails with Kiyomi sometimes (who he had fed some tale about having to go into hiding due to Amane stalking him—which wasn’t far from the truth, actually…) He’d had to cut ties with everyone else—for their safety as well as his own. 

“ _Is_ Kira still killing?” Light asked innocently. “We don’t really get much news up here.” 

“I… no. No, I don’t think he is,” L said whilst scrutinizing Light with his piercing black gaze. “At least not like before—just enough, it seems, to sew doubt in the minds of the Japanese police.”

“Huh.” 

“You know, without Kira the world dissolved into chaos?” 

“What? _Really?_ ” 

Light refused to feel guilty about that. That world was rotten long before Kira ever happened to it. (And if it needed Kira after all… well _L_ was the one to drive him away…)

“Ryuuzaki—” Light began when he was abruptly cut off. 

“ _L,_ ” the detective corrected. 

“What?”

“Using an alias is rather pointless when everyone here knows my name, yourself included. Call me L.” 

Light blinked, momentarily taken aback. “…Right… _L,_ " Light reluctantly acquiesced to the change in address, trying to mask his disappointment. He knew it shouldn’t matter but the truth was Light preferred to call him Ryuuzaki. Even after Light could literally see his true name floating above his head, just being able to call him _Ryuuzaki_ had added a layer of happy denial because L’s name alone was a constant reminder that this was indeed _L_ —his, or rather _Kira’s,_ enemy... 

_“Ryuuzaki”_ was the name of the strange, funny, intelligent man he shared cakes with. 

_“L”_ was the name of the man who challenged him, humiliated him, and promised to see him dead. 

Light had appreciated that brief time of his life and his “friendship with Ryuuzaki,” as fake as he knew it was… 

“Ah _shit,_ Ryuuzaki— _L!_ ” L froze when Light was abruptly hugging him. L was half-expecting a knife in the ribs (but no, that was more B’s style.) “I missed you, you _asshole!_ ”

Of all the things L expected to happen during this reunion with his former Kira suspect, Light hugging him, well, that had been pretty low on the list. 

L froze in Light’s arms as he heard the flutter of wingbeats and the clinking of a metal chain behind them. Naturally, Ryuk returned right at that awkward moment. 

Of course the awkwardness was all L’s alone. Light didn’t seem at all put out to be caught hugging his once-nemesis. The brunet smiled softly, eyes shining with glee as he made the unnecessary reintroduction. “Hey Ryuk, look who’s here! It’s Ryuuzaki, _L,_ he came all this way!”

L gulped, fearing at that moment he was about to be ripped to threads by a jealous Shinigami. Even if at one point the creature had all but invited him to join them, L didn’t know if that was an impulse, or a one-time offer, and the monster had always seemed quite possessive of Light. Hell, maybe this had been a plot by Light to kill him all along…. No, Light couldn’t have known he was coming. This was just rotten luck. He was going to be done in by _rotten luck._

But the Shinigami Just laughed. **“Well come on in then! Pull up a chair—you’re just in time for dinner!”**

“I’m not on the menu, am I?” L asked warily as he acquiesced to the monster’s suggestion and pulled up a cushioned boulder that functioned as a chair. 

**“Why, do you want to be eaten?”** Ryuk cackled and made a lewd movement with his tongue that, Light noted, had somehow managed to put some color on the detective’s normally pallid face. 

***

L noted with some amusement that the Shinigami had returned from his flight with several bags of takeout which he worked to set upon the table as Light set a third place setting for their unexpected guest. 

As it turned out Ryuk himself mostly didn’t bother with human food much, other than apples, and apparently hunted takeout meals in the human world almost exclusively for Light’s benefit. However he always found it companionable to sit at the table with his human and now seemed to contribute to Light’s moral support when dealing with what must have been literally his first human interaction in years. 

“Wait, how did you get this? Did you steal it?” Not that L could do much about it if he was, but L realized that Ryuk couldn’t exactly _order_ the food given that no one else could see or hear him. 

“Of course not! The humans who ordered this food aren’t going to need it,” Ryuk assured him. 

L shuddered, suddenly wishing he hadn’t connected the dots—whether Ryuk was murdering people over takeout or it was simply a “happy” coincidence, L was 99% sure the human who had ordered that food was now dead. 

**“Oi, Light-o! What’s this?”** Ryuk demanded when he caught sight of Light’s bruised thumb. 

“It’s nothing, Ryuk.”

 **“It’s not nothing! Here let me see that,”** the Shinigami demanded. 

Light rolled his eyes but complied, holding his hand out for Ryuk’s careful inspection. His Shinigami overreacted to his every injury. Light forgot sometimes just how different their views on mortality were.

 **“Should I get the green rock?”**

“It’ll heal on its own,” Light assured him. He was still a bit wary of Ryuk’s magic healing rock, especially given he was the first human Ryuk had ever tried it on. Light tried to persuade Ryuk not to use it on him for every injury—especially not for such minor things as this. 

Light shivered slightly as Ryuk gingerly examined his hand. Admittedly he kind of liked it when Ryuk was gentle—it was the only reason he put up with it, he was sure. 

Ryuk chuckled; Light’s reaction was clearly not lost on him. Light gave an embarrassing squeak as Ryuk picked him up and held him against his chest for a long moment until Light complained about the food getting cold. At that point the Shinigami reluctantly relinquished him to return to the table. 

L watched their interactions and, once again couldn’t help but feel that old rush of jealousy and longing.

***

Ryuk slowly chewed his way through an apple, watching the humans eat… or not eat in order to stare at each other across the table. 

L fidgeted in his seat, idly fooling with the red-checkered apple-patterned tablecloth that was draped over the table… or rather “table”—beneath the home cloth L discovered a large, flat boulder that had been repurposed. 

L hesitated upon seeing the utensils neatly arranged on the table—sitting right beside the perfectly normal chopsticks were what appeared to be gothic novelty silverware that took the shape of tiny blackened human skeletons twisted in agony… L ultimately opted to just eat with his fingers as was his preference anyway.

Light glanced at L critically—somehow still appalled by the other man’s eating habits despite living for years among _literal monsters_ —but ultimately opted not to say anything. 

For once, L did not pay much attention to what he was eating—his attention utterly consumed by his current company—the monster… and the Shinigami. While Ryuk was still a pretty much unknown quantity to him, L could never forget that the man across the table was, simultaneously, his best friend and greatest enemy. 

L marveled that Light had few of the tell-tale signs of stress and age. (It was hardly fair. L’s own once raven-black hair was now beginning to be streaked with grey.) Light wore his hair longer now and he walked with a limp but otherwise he hadn’t changed much at all. 

At least physically. 

The verdict was still out if the man L knew to be Kira had actually changed or was merely laying low and being smart about things.

L knew he’d been negligent to leave the original Kira alone for so long, unsupervised, but then he had had other, more pressing issues to deal with. 

“So…” L began, glancing around the humble, but well-decorated cave dwelling. “Getting out much?”

It was quiet here—L had to give him that—and there was little chance of having to interact with many other human beings. If not for the _other neighbors_ and lack of comforts, mainly bakeries, L might even consider it _pleasant._

Light found it odd that L of all people would be asking him that question. 

Ryuk scoffed, it was quite obvious what the detective was trying to do. **“Light isn’t a prisoner here. In fact we go to the human world all the time for groceries and laundry…”**

“Ryuk… he really doesn’t need to know that.” Light said eyeing L suspiciously.

The absolutely last thing he needed was for L to try and ambush him the next time they went to the Laundromat with his arms full of dirty sheets.

The detective gave him an innocent look. 

Light sighed and set down his chopsticks. He decided to just cut right to the chase. “Ryuuzaki… Why are you here, really?” 

“I’ve come to offer Light-kun immunity…”

Light squeezed his eyes shut, looking pained. “Please don’t lie to me.” 

He had no interest in playing such games with L—he didn’t _do that_ anymore. Light wasn’t proud of all he’d done and he was _trying_ to be a better person, if for no other reason than to set a good example for Ryuk. 

There was something about just living in the Shinigami Realm… being able to openly talk to Ryuk and their neighbors about things he’d never be able to talk about among humans—it was helping in _healing_ him somehow (Light hadn’t even _realized_ how sick he really was until some of the Shinigami had expressed shock and horror over Kira’s death toll.) 

Though he retained ownership he hadn’t used the notebook for over a year. 

“It’s no lie,” L insisted. “The information you gave me earlier about Shinigami has assisted me greatly. And while we couldn’t get the charges to stick, we managed to stop three additional Kiras because of it.” 

_“Three?!”_

“Indeed. In fact I suspect there may be more. Shinigami dropping notebooks in the human world is starting to be a real problem… though I couldn’t help but notice you omitted mentioning anything about a notebook…” 

**“That’s because our bond is stronger than any mere notebook,”** Ryuk declared, reaching across the table to comfort his lover. L watched as Light’s hand was easily engulfed in the monster’s larger talons. 

_“What?"_ Light demanded in the face of L's disbelieving stare. "We told you we share a special bond.”

“How ‘special’ exactly?” L asked pointedly. 

Light smirked. “We’re soulmates.” 

The detective narrowed his eyes. “How can a Shinigami be your soulmate?” 

“Why ever not?” 

“Well, for one it would be far easier to believe that Light was just the first Kira—”

Light groaned. “That again?” 

Ryuk chuckled, **“Wow, you’re really dedicated to beating a dead horse there. It could’ve just been a rogue Shinigami for all you know.”**

L actually blinked at that. “You really think a _Shinigami_ would kill as Kira did?”

Light laughed, “Maybe they’re just a binge-eater like you, Ryuuzaki.” 

“Huh,” the former detective gave an odd, self-deprecating smile—or a grimace in the approximation of a smile, “Maybe so.” He allowed, though if that were the case he would imagine the victims would be more indiscriminate in nature. It would be odd that a Shinigami would only target criminals like Kira had. That was, as far as he knew, a _human’s_ sense of morality and justice. 

**“Or maybe you were both seeing patterns where none existed,”** Ryuk pointed out helpfully. Both genii glared at him, highly offended. The Shinigami shrugged. **“Hey, you know if you’re bored enough it’s easy to see shapes in the sand.”**

“I suppose three Kiras was harrowing enough,” L mused, conceding the point… for now. (There was no way Light hadn’t been Kira. Otherwise he would have to accept the fact that a Shinigami really was Light’s soulmate… On a completely unrelated note, L paused to wonder if a person could have two soulmates… Not that L believed in such things…) 

“I wonder if there’s any limit to how many Kiras can be active at once.” 

“There is in fact,” Light volunteered. “Up to six Death Notes can be active in the human world at a time.”

L looked alarmed. _“Six…”_

**“However a Shinigami often possesses a human that comes into possession of a Death Note and they will have a notebook as well, so that counts as one of the active notebooks.”**

“So assuming the notebooks each have a Shinigami attached to them, three is usually the maximum number of humans killing with the notebook at one time.” 

**“Exactly. Though that's the best case scenario, at least as far as humans are concerned."**

“ _The best case?!_ That was the best case?!” So many were dead at the hands of the three Kiras, L was almost afraid to ask how it could _possibly_ have been worse. 

Ryuk was happy to oblige him, whether he asked or not. 

**“The worst case scenario would be if six Shinigami lost their notebooks or had them stolen and flung into the human world at the same time and there is no Shinigami attached to the humans who pick them up. However that is unlikely to happen given that only a real idiot of a Shinigami would drop their own notebook and it is highly unlikely you would find six Shinigami so negligent with their Death Notes at the same time.”**

“I see…” the detective murmured, slouching in his seat, idly playing with his noodles. 

Of course none of these actions were at all out of bounds of normal behavior for the detective but just something about L’s demeanor raised Light’s concern. 

“I’d expected you’d be more interested, Ryuuzak— _L._ ” 

L sighed. “I confess—I’m really not here about Kira, Light-kun.” 

Light rolled his eyes. “ _Sure,_ you aren’t, Ryuuzaki.” 

As if he was stupid enough to fall for that.

“I told you, Light, for better or worse, the case is over. I’m not even the one acting as L the Detective anymore.” 

All told, L had felt an odd sense of relief to have relinquished his title. For the first time in years he was no longer torn apart between his duty as the Great Detective L and _where he really wanted to be._

if only he could have discarded his _name_ so easily. But L knew that was clearly impossible, given both his dinner companions could see it floating above his head. It was clearly flustering Light to have to say it and L himself actually had rather liked the Ryuuzaki alias... but then L knew it was pointless to pretend the past between them didn't exist. 

Light blinked in confusion at L's unexpected confession. L quitting detective work? That was just preposterous! That just seemed _wrong_ on every level. L was the Detective. _His detective._ The very idea that L would abandon his life's work... that was almost as impossible as the idea of Light abandoning his mission as Kira had once been.... then unexpected human emotions had entered the equation. But surely L didn't share in his weakness. The very notion seemed absurd. 

“…Then why come after me?” Light challenged. 

“Is it really so difficult to believe that I was just worried about Light-kun and missed him?” 

_“Yes.”_

L ran his hands through his black spikes in irritation. “Dammit, Light, I care about you! I care about you— _you piece of shit!_ ” 

Light arched an eyebrow. As usual he had a funny way of showing it. 

Then again, he did come all this way. He must have known that going home again would be quite impossible without his, or rather _Ryuk’s_ help. Could it be that _L_ really was just worried about him? That he had no ulterior motive other than to see him again? 

If that was the case, as unlikely as it first seemed… It seemed he’d misjudged him. 

_Again._

He probably owed L an apology... if that was the case. 

(Not Light would ever admit it.) 

Of course that was assuming that this wasn't a trick or a trap. Light still hadn't ruled that out and felt completely justified in being wary around the detective, _ex-detective_ if L was to be believed... 

Light sighed, “Well, I’m fine here, as you can surely see.” 

“Why did you have to leave, Light?” 

Light jolted at the plaintive note in L’s voice, he really did sound genuinely heartbroken. 

Light met the former detective’s dissecting black stare. “I just needed to get away, you know?” 

L glanced out the cave entrance to the barren wasteland beyond. 

“I suppose it’s… peaceful,” the ex-detective said diplomatically, “But doesn’t it get boring?” 

“Not really. Especially when there’s so much to salvage.” 

“Salvage?” 

**“Oh no, now you’ve done it…”** Ryuk groaned as Light launched into an hour-long explanation of the remnants of the machines he had discovered in the Shinigami realm and was in the process of reconstructing, complete with graphs, charts, and samples of the typical detritus found in the Shinigami realm. 

A crease formed in the former detective’s forehead as he looked over the photographs Light had provided of the twisted mess of metal and gears that he was clearly in the process of reconstructing. L found his own interest piqued as he studied Light’s diagrams. 

“Fascinating… But what is it?” 

“No clue. Ryuk says they were always that way—at least as long as he’s remembered. Most Shinigami say the same. Some vaguely remember the machine, or claim to anyway—provided you have fruit on hand to bribe them with.” 

L brought his thumb up to his lips to idly chew on it. “I thought Shinigami only eat apples.” 

“Well… while apples are by far the most popular, I’ve found that some Shinigami like bananas or blueberries… and there was that one who got hooked on chocolate…” Light related as he gave his own Shinigami an accusing stare. 

**“Hey, that wasn’t _my_ fault, Light!"** Ryuk protested. **"I didn’t tell him he could have your cookies! He took them without asking!”**

Light sighed, “…And that’s why Sidoh is no longer invited here.” 

*** 

“Thank you for dinner, Light. It was lovely,” L said sincerely. 

See? He was capable of manners, despite what Light clearly thought of him. 

“It was no problem,” Light answered, politely, automatically, and then immediately felt a bit guilty in taking the credit when Ryuk had done most of the work… 

“I don’t suppose you want to come home with me now?” L asked bluntly, hopefully. 

Light froze in his tracks. _“What?!”_

“Is Light really happy here?” 

Light balked again at the plaintive note in his former nemesis’s voice. 

Was that what this was really about? 

It wasn’t L’s business, really but… Hell, even if he took L's offer at face value and assumed he wouldn't be arrested the moment he stepped back onto Earth (highly unlikely) he just felt at home here—he never had to explain himself to them, even those who expressed surprise at how many humans he’d killed—they never judged him for it. They even, regularly, invited him into their card games. (And this was the Land of the Gods—even if they were Gods of Death—really for the first time in his life he felt like he _belonged..._ ) Besides, even in the unlikely event L was telling the truth Light knew there would be no returning. It may mean he was a weak person but he just couldn’t stand the thought of returning to the hatred of former family and friends—he just couldn’t _face_ that. That world just wasn’t _his_ anymore. He couldn’t go back. If he went back there he might relapse. He’d be surrounded by all those humans who he despised… 

Yes, he was very happy here, even if L had a hard time believing it. 

“We really are happy here, Ryuuza— _L._ ” 

“Oh…” 

L sighed and shoved his hands in his jeans pockets again… and his fingers once again feathery touch of what he’d stuffed inside. 

“Oh, right! I almost forgot!” 

Light froze as L fished around for something in his jeans pocket. What could it possibly be? A weapon? Handcuffs? 

L hunched his shoulders in an even more pronounced way than usual as he pulled a crumpled white rose from his pocket, clearly embarrassed. 

Ryuk and Light shared a look as L shuffled awkwardly. 

“I hope this isn’t too forward, but I do seem to recall that Light-kun is fond of flowers. It’s a white rose,” L explained hurriedly. “White roses, as I’m sure you know denote friendship—” 

_“L.”_

L looked up just as Light suddenly kissed him. 

“But I thought… you and Ryuk…” 

Light and Ryuk shared another knowing look. 

“We have an open relationship,” Light said casually. 

They had discussed this at length, he and Ryuk, and they _did_ have an open relationship—that they typically didn’t see other beings was beside the point. It was only fair—Light was hardly Ryuk’s first and he knew he wouldn’t be his last. That was just the reality of being with an immortal death god. And while Light and Ryuk both loved and cared for each other—as much as they got on each other’s nerves—they both wanted L—had wanted him for years, since he proved to be one of the few interesting people to be found in the human realm. 

**“If you’d like to stay we have room for one more,”** the Shinigami added with a suggestive smirk. **“We were just going to have a movie night. Would you like to join us?”**

“Yes, L, come join us for the evening.” 

*** 

Of all the possible outcomes L suspected would occur when he reunited with Light, movie night with his Kira suspect and the Shinigami hadn’t even been on the list. 

_Netflix and kill._ L snorted to himself. 

**“Oi, Light! We just saw that one the other day!”**

“Which one is that?” L asked, curious. 

Light flushed as he searched for something alternative to watch. “ _The Notebook._ ” 

L couldn’t stop his giggling. 

How ironic—a film about memory loss… 

All the Kira suspects seemed to have suffered from memory problems after they destroyed their notebooks or took them away. Would that had happened to Light if L had won his decisive victory? If L had proven Light as Kira and taken the notebook (which Light surely had, regardless of what tale he spun about Shinigami soulmates) from him, would Light have lost his memories too? Oh, he wouldn’t lose all his memories—given what L had observed of the other Kiras—just the _important_ ones. He would forget being Kira and all of their interactions would lose their context, he would forget the special, complicated, _(cherished)_ nature of their relationship and everything that made him so interesting to L as both his nemesis and his friend… 

As much as L loathed Kira, and all that he stood for, he was glad now that he hadn’t had to arrest Light during the course of his career, and that Light had exiled himself from the game. Had Light remained in the human world and L had continued to operate as “L the Detective” he would have most certainly have had to oversee Light’s execution. 

L shivered slightly, suddenly feeling cold. 

The action didn’t go unnoticed by the couch’s other occupants—Light promptly wrapped him in a blanket while Ryuk brought them hot cocoa. 

“I forgot how cold it can get here,” L said as an excuse, “How do you stand it?” 

Light shrugged. “You get used to it.” 

L marveled as Light and Ryuk cuddled up with him on the couch—somehow it wasn’t weird. In fact, it felt like the most natural thing in the world… 

“Light-kun… this movie… it’s _horrible,_ ” L deadpanned after a moment of actually watching what was on the screen. 

“It certainly is,” Light agreed, cringing at the wooden acting, bad dialogue, and how everyone was suddenly, inexplicably white and American regardless of the story’s supposed setting… 

“Then why are we still watching it?” 

Light chewed on his lip and looked uncharacteristically awkward. “…I don’t know.” 

**“We usually don’t actually watch it,”** Ryuk supplied helpfully. 

“Er... It usually just ends up being noise while we do… more interesting things,” Light admitted. 

Light and his Shinigami shared a look before they broke out into laughter. 

The moment that had felt so comfortable between them a moment before suddenly felt awkward again and L was once again anxious about his status here. Was he an intruding third wheel or did they really mean it when they offered that he join them? 

“Er… then… do you want to do… more interesting things?” L challenged. 

L smirked at the flash of Light's eyes—Kira was never one to back down from a challenge. 

Light leaned over and kissed him again. This time it was no quick peck—Light kissed him slowly, languidly, and L somehow felt safe in Ryuk’s long arms—safer than if it had just been the two of them alone. Probably because, even though the Shinigami was an amoral monster, he still somehow felt like a steadying counterbalance to Kira’s passion. 

L moaned, shivering as Ryuk’s cold talons traced lightly down his spine even as L managed to undo the buttons of Light's loose black silk dress shirt in record time so it was left hanging from Light's slim form like a dead thing... L huffed out a laugh, not exactly a sexy thought but an appropriate descriptor given _where_ they were and _who_ he was with. 

_“Bed,”_ Light ordered . 

Both L and Ryuk were all too happy to comply. 

Light and Ryuk were all too eager to show him where the bedroom was. 

L was left scrambling for purchase as Light pulled him in and Ryuk gave him a gentle push from behind. L spared a moment to wonder how Ryuk had managed to procure such fine silk sheets but then Light was attacking his neck again and the L decided he didn’t really care. 

Ryuk grabbed Light’s hips and gathered him up into his lap and L was upon him, his pale, nimble fingers unbuttoned his fly. Light gasped, shivering slightly as he felt Ryuk’s hardness pressing against his bottom even through the layers of their pants and the two of them worked him up with some heavy petting. 

“Light-kun is adorable,” L hummed musingly to himself. 

Ryuk laughed. **“Isn’t he just?”** the Shinigami cooed. 

L shivered pleasantly as the monster brushed against his bare back with his wing. 

“You know you’re pretty cute, yourself.” Ryuk told him before leaning over to lazily lap at his neck 

Light made an embarrassing squeak when L got into his pants.“Wait, L. You don’t have to do that!” Light started when he realized what L wanted to do. 

L met him with a piercing gaze. “I want to. Do you want me to?” 

Light blinked in bewilderment—he’d been expecting L to try and pull many things over the course of this conversation…. But this wasn’t one of them. Light cautiously nodded. It was one of the few things he had never tried with Ryuk—for obvious reasons. Well he'd given them, eagerly, but never received them... 

"No teeth," Light insisted, betraying his apprehension. 

L gave a knowing smile. 

“I think you will find I am actually pretty good at this.” L insisted as he took Light into his mouth. 

Light nearly choked. “Fuck, _Ryuuzaki._ ” 

Light cursed again when L stopped. _“Fucking hell!”_

“L,” L insisted. 

“What?” 

“I told you to call me L. Not Ryuuzaki.” L chided. 

**“And no doubt two Ryuus would get confusing for you.”** Ryuk purred, teasingly. as he gently raked down his side with his claws. 

“Oh I don’t know, Ryuk, I’d think that would make things easier, really.” 

L stopped again to slap him lightly while Ryuk laughed. 

*** 

Ryuk huffed and flopped down on the other side of Light after tucking in his two exhausted mortals. While Ryuk strictly didn’t need to sleep he was rather fond of cuddling with his human... his _humans._

*** 

L woke up somehow tangled up in Light’s arms, blanketed by Ryuk’s ebon wing. He was sore all over and the sweet taste of apples lingered on his lips. L fidgeted, nervous, but reluctant to actually move. He wasn't used to laying down and doing nothing this long but at the same time he didn't want this moment to end. Moving would not only mean waking up his bedmates but it would mean he would have to acknowledge he would soon wear out his welcome and be forced to leave. L did not want to leave but he couldn't help but feel he was intruding... more than intruding. Even if he'd been invited he still felt like he had gone way past intruding. Part of him was surprised that he'd been allowed to get this far, that he hadn't been tossed our already by either of them... 

"Hey L" Light hummed sleepily, kissing L lightly on the forehead before breaking out into a yawn. “It’s morning.” 

“How can you tell?” L grumbled, groggy. Though he supposed it made sense—the chronic insomniac' was unused to sleeping this much and at this time. While the reclusive detective was used to ignoring the outside world (or the position of the sun) while he worked, and while his internal clock and the rumbling in his stomach suggested it could be morning there was no other indication as to what time it was. There was a startling lack of clocks in residence, and certainly none in the bedroom (though the more L thought about it, the more it made sense—Light didn’t really need to be anywhere here and no doubt neither Light nor Ryuk would want the reminder of the passage of time or Light’s own mortality...) And since the bedroom was located deep in a protected chamber of the cave, there were, naturally, no windows. And even if he could see the outside world from here, L knew from his previous visit to this realm that he wouldn’t have been able to tell—there never seemed to be any changes to the Shinigami Realm’s constant dark grey sky. As far as he could tell this place had no sun at all. It might not even exist here. But then, that was alright with L, really—the sun always burned him going outside and he always favored low light and shades of grey. 

L sighed, it never did well to refuse to face reality. "I guess I should be heading back soon." 

"Oh..." 

L paused. Light looked and sounded so very, genuinely disappointed. 

"...unless you want me to stay?" 

Light looked equally indecisive about that idea. The internal struggle playing out across his face. 

**"Oh? You want to be rid of us so soon?"**

L scowled as the Shinigami gave up the game so quickly. "Of course not. But I know when I've worn out my welcome." 

_"You haven't!"_ Light insisted. 

“Then… can I stay?” L asked, considering. "I think I should stay for Light-kun's sake. It's not healthy for Light-kun to isolate himself. He needs human contact." 

Ryuk snorted. **"You gave him that, alright."**

“It's just... that’s kind of a big decision, Ryuuzaki," Light interjected. "It shouldn’t be taken lightly.” 

Ryuk cackled and even L gave an uncharacteristic snort at the unintended pun. 

“Light-kun... I don’t really have anything to go back to and… it’s boring down there. Nothing really interests me in that world anymore.” 

The Kira case really was the highlight of his career, even if it was ultimately the case that ruined his reputation… but then L never really cared much about what the rest of the world thought. It was just, after the Kira case, going back to work on regular murders just seemed so… _boring._

Light sighed, “Me neither. But it’s… not so boring up here.” 

L chuckled, “Clearly not.” 

Ryuk scoffed. **“Are you kidding? The only thing in this whole damn world that’s interesting is the two of you.”**

The Shinigami balked at the intensity of Light’s stare. _“What?”_

“That’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever said, Ryuk,” Light said candidly, giving the monster a peck on the cheek before turning back to their new lover. “I’ll take you down to the scrapheap tomorrow, L, it’s fascinating.” 

_Scrapheap?_

He couldn’t tell if Light was being sarcastic or not. 

While L wasn’t the most social of individuals, surely that didn’t sound like a typical— 

Oh right, Light's _salvage._ In that case… 

“It’s a date.” 

Light laughed. “You’re doing it backwards, L.” 

“Am I?" 

Light shook his head at the ridiculous man in his bed. “Honestly, how were you even planning on going home? Were you counting on borrowing Ryuk again?" Light teased as he cuddled against his Shinigami. 

“Honestly? I was expecting this to be a one-way trip, Light.” 

Light snorted "Presumptuous." 

"... one way or another." 

Light’s demeanor at once became serious as he clutched the former detective tighter, "Still presumptuous." 

“That you’d let me leave?” 

_“L!”_ Light looked highly offended at the suggestion. 

**"You’re not a prisoner here,”** Ryuk insisted in a mediating tone **“I’ll take you back if that’s what you want… but please, feel free to stay as long as you like.”**

“We’re not going to hurt you, L,” Light insisted sincerely, “You can go home if you want to.” 

“But I don’t _want_ to, Light-kun. Why can’t you see? Everything that interests me is _here._ ” 

Light didn't want L to leave but... he didn't exactly want him hanging around either. If he stayed sooner or later L would no doubt _figure him out_ and that was unacceptable... 

L sighed, exasperated. “Haven’t you listened to a word I said? I don’t care if you were Kira, Light.” 

“What?! _...Why?_ ” 

L sighed. "Because Light is my first ever friend and I care about him, though he is an asshole.” 

_“L…”_ Light interjected, clearly irritated. 

“That is alright because I am also an asshole.” 

Ryuk cackled at Light's look of annoyance. 

"In any case even if Light-kun confessed to me now there would be no way to bring him to justice… do you want to confess to me now?” the detective asked hopefully. 

“No.” 

L pouted. 

“I have nothing to confess to you.” 

L wondered if it was wishful thinking or if he was projecting but he imagined that what Light meant was _You’ve already figured me out._ “I’m sure you don’t,” L assured him. 

Light sighed and closed his eyes. “Fine L… you can stay.” 

“I can stay?” 

Light turned to look him right in the eye. “Yes L, in fact, _please stay._ ” 

“Hmmm… I’d like to… but there’s still no bakeries here.” 

Light huffed in annoyance at the former detective’s priorities. 

Ryuk shrugged. **“That’s not a problem. If you need human food just say the word. I can get you your stuff on the next grocery run. I can take care of you, just like I take care of Light.”**

L hummed contentedly as he snuggled back into the pile. Maybe it was foolish to put his faith in a Shinigami but after last night… Yes, he felt Ryuk would take good care of them. 

“You know… I think I will. Alright, I’ll stay.” 

“Good.” Light said as he nuzzled into the back of his neck. 

The Kira case had always been his favorite case and he still hadn't solved it to his satisfaction. Even if he really wasn’t bothering with his whole mass heart attack death shtick anymore L found he still wanted to learn more about Light, Ryuk, this world… 

“Dammit, _stay,_ you asshole.” Light insisted again, as if he’d read his very thoughts. “Fucking hell, L, I can’t believe that I play second fiddle to you to a _damn bakery!_ " 

It was bad enough having to compete with _apples_ for Ryuk’s attention… 

“It’s not really a home without a bakery nearby, you know,” L teased, only to balk when he noticed that dangerous glint in Light's eyes that he hadn't seen in the other's eyes since the height of his Kira days. 

“You know, L if the whole bakery thing is so important to you… then we can _make_ one.” Light insisted. 

_“Wha—?”_

*** 

They already had a minor industry going here in growing fruit (it was more efficient than having Ryuk fly down every time) and though getting anything to grow up here had proved a challenge they’d managed it with heat lamps, and soil brought up from the human world. And Light had already discovered he could often get the neighbors to help in his endeavors (be it killing certain humans at certain times or salvaging the ancient machines) provided he bribed them with fruit—or just convinced them it would be something fun to do. So overall the bakery was a roaring success even if it was only intended for just a clientele of three.


End file.
